The Second Annual Central Coast VegFest embraces ideas of veganism

The second annual Central Coast VegFest took place Feb 23, an all-vegan event consisting of over 50 different vendors and speakers.

The event had food options such as vegan cheese, vegan milkshakes and even vegan bacon crisps. The festival also had apparel and nonprofit booths, where attendees could grab merchandise from the event and talk to nonprofits, such as the Central Coast Vegans.

Over the years, there has been a rising trend of veganism and vegetarianism. According to GlobalData, 70 percent of the human population is either reducing meat consumption or leaving meat off the table altogether.

“There are so many reason people go vegan, it really is a miracle on some level,” said event organizer Jennifer Jones. “Our entire culture is not that. No one I know is born vegan, but to make that shift it really is almost a 180 degree from the standard American way of living.”

Video by Mackenzie Nicoli

Philosophy professor Joe Lynch was one of the speakers at the Veg Fest and believes people should go vegan for both the environment and for animals.

“I think for most people, the best evidence shows you can be at least as healthy on a vegan diet as on a diet where people eat meat,” Lynch said.

Although veganism is on the rise, it is not a new trend. Donald Watson coined the term vegan in 1944 when he cofounded the first Vegan Society in England, according to Time Magazine. Tuberculosis had been found in 40 percent of Britain’s dairy cows the year before, and because of this Watson claimed that going vegan would protect people from getting sick.

Veganism has, however, become more prominent in the American culture, as well as in the Central Coast, according to Vegan Bits. Jones said she created the Veg Fest for vegans in San Luis Obispo to have a place to meet other like-minded vegans, get health tips, and learn from speakers.

“It’s the easiest way for me to make a choice and then execute that choice and channel my beliefs into practical action that is so easy for me to do and at the end of the day be able to say that I stuck to my convictions in a tangible way."- Biochemistry senior Aashrita Manjunath

“Veganism is extending your compassion and empathy beyond yourself to the planet and to other animals. Simply just being kinder to animals, and not paying into an industry that causes their death. It’s about being a compassionate human." - Anthropology and Geography junior Iain Dunn

“To me veganism allows me to help others and the world as much as I can do in my small shoes." - Liberal Studies senior Mia Doran

“I don’t know, vegan just means being cool I guess. Being aware. Being able to do something that will directly impact future generations, so that we have a future." - VegFest vendor Patty Ferguson

“It’s about not supporting the housing and horrific conditions of animals that are kept in captivity. And then there is the environment, I don’t believe we should just do whatever we want with the environment and not care about future generations." - Vegan activist Spring Smith

“Veganism to me is about compassion and selfless service to the earth and to the animals, and the last part the best part is to be able to serve your own health, your own happiness and everyone else around you, to make the world a more loving and compassionate place." - VegFest attendee David Torres

“There are a lot of committed vegans in the world who feel very passionately about being vegan and want to tell the world,” Jones said. “The Veg Fest to me was this very fun way to help spread veganism.”

According to The New York Times, an estimated 12 percent of millennials say they are “faithful vegetarians” as compared to 4 percent of Generations X, and about 1 percent of baby boomers. This is a large reason why consumers are seeing more vegan and gluten-free options at restaurants, and why the meat industry is declining.

Video by Camilla Corcuera

Biology senior Alana Billik has been vegan for two years, and loved how many different food options were available at the Veg Fest.

“There are so many good food options if you are vegan that I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on anything by not eating meat, and this festival really showed me all the different foods you can eat while still being a vegan.” Bilik said.